We present the optical-near infrared spectral energy distributions (SED) and near infrared variability properties of 30 low-redshift iron low-ionization Broad Absorption Line quasars (FeLoBALQs) and matched samples of LoBALQs and unabsorbed quasars. Significant correlations between the SED properties and accretion rate indicators found among the unabsorbed comparison sample objects suggest an intrinsic origin for SED differences. A range of reddening likely mutes these correlations among the FeLoBAL quasars. The restframe optical-band reddening is correlated with the location of the outflow, suggesting a link between the outflows and the presence of dust. We analyzed WISE variability and provide a correction for photometry uncertainties in an appendix. We found an anticorrelation between the variability amplitude and inferred continuum emission region size, and suggest that as the origin of the anticorrelation between variability amplitude and luminosity typically observed in quasars. We found that the LoBALQ optical emission line and other parameters are more similar to those of the unabsorbed continuum sample objects than the FeLoBALQs. Thus, FeLoBAL quasars are a special population of objects. We interpret the results using an accretion-rate scenario for FeLoBAL quasars. The high accretion rate FeLoBAL quasars are radiating powerfully enough to drive a thick, high-velocity outflow. Quasars with intermediate accretion rates may have an outflow, but it is not sufficiently thick to include FeII absorption. Low accretion rate FeLoBAL outflows originate in absorption in a failing torus, no longer optically thick enough to reprocess radiation into the near-IR.
We report the results of analysis of the Hbeta emission-line region of a sample of thirty low-redshift (z<1) iron low-ionization broad absorption line quasars (FeLoBALQs). Eleven of these objects are newly classified as FeLoBALQs. A matched sample of 132 unabsorbed quasars was analyzed in parallel. The emission lines showed the well known anticorrelation between the [OIII] and FeII emission (Boroson & Green 1992). Using a summary statistic called E1 to quantify this anticorrelation, we found that while the distribution of E1 for the unabsorbed quasars has a single peak, the FeLoBALQs have a bi…
We present the first systematic study of 50 low redshift ($0.66 < z < 1.63$) iron low-ionization broad absorption-line quasars (FeLoBALQs) using $SimBAL$ which represents a more than five-fold increase in the number of FeLoBALQs with detailed absorption line spectral analyses. We found the outflows have a wide range of ionization parameters, $-4\lesssim\log U\lesssim 1.2$ and densities, $2.8\lesssim\log n\lesssim8\ \rm[cm^{-3}]$. The objects in our sample showed FeLoBAL gas located at a wide range of distances $0\lesssim\log R\lesssim 4.4$ [pc], although we do not find any evidence for disk wi…
We study the host galaxies of four Iron Low-Ionization Broad Absorption-line Quasars (FeLoBALs) using Hubble Space Telescope imaging data, investigating the possibility that they represent a transition between an obscured AGN and an ordinary optical quasar. In this scenario, the FeLoBALs represent the early stage of merger-triggered accretion, in which case their host galaxies are expected to show signs of an ongoing or recent merger. Using PSF subtraction techniques, we decompose the images into host galaxy and AGN components at rest-frame ultraviolet and optical wavelengths. The ultraviolet …
Theoretical models have suggested an evolutionary model for quasars, in which most of luminous quasars are triggered by major mergers. It is also postulated that reddening as well as powerful outflows indicate an early phase of activity, close to the merger event. We test this model on a sample of quasars with powerful low ionization outflows seen in broad Iron absorption lines (FeLoBAL). This sample of objects show strong reddening in the optical and fast ($\sim$0.1c) high column density outflows. We present HST WFC3/IR F160W imaging of 10 FeLoBAL host galaxies at redshifts z$\sim$0.9 ($λ_{re…
To investigate the properties of dust in the nuclear region of quasars, we explored the extinction curves of the iron low-ionization broad absorption line (FeLoBAL) quasar SDSS J163004.29+311957.6 and its two analogues. The parameterized extinction curves indicated the Milky Way-like 2175 Å~ bump features in underlying extinction, which are similar to those seen in the Local Group and a subset of high-redshift star-forming galaxies. Compared to the bump features in the Large Magellanic Clouds (LMC), the detections in this work are much closer to those in the Milky Way (MW). These bump features…
We present a detailed study of a high-redshift iron low-ionization broad absorption line (FeLoBAL) quasar (SDSS1214 at $z = 1.046$), including new interferometric $^{12}$CO $J$=2-1 observations, optical through far-infrared photometry, and mid-infrared spectroscopy. The CO line is well-fit by a single Gaussian centered 40 kms$^{-1}$ away from the systemic velocity and implies a total molecular gas mass of $M_\textrm{gas} = 7.3 \times 10^{10} \textrm{M}_\odot$. The infrared SED requires three components: an active galactic nucleus (AGN) torus, an AGN polar dust component, and a starburst. The s…
FeLoBALs are a rare class of quasar outflows with low-ionization broad absorption lines (BALs), large column densities, and potentially large kinetic energies that might be important for `feedback' to galaxy evolution. In order to probe the physical properties of these outflows, we conducted a multiple-epoch, absorption line variability study of 12 FeLoBAL quasars spanning a redshift range between 0.7 and 1.9 over rest frame time-scales of approximately 10 d to 7.6 yr. We detect absorption line variability with greater than 8 sigma confidence in 3 out of the 12 sources in our sample over time-…
Photoionization modeling of the low-ionization broad absorption lines of certain quasars, known as FeLoBALs, has recently revealed the number density of the wind absorbers and their distance from the central supermassive black hole. From these, the feedback efficiency of the quasars can in principle be derived. The implied properties of the FeLoBALs are, however, surprising, with the thickness of the absorbers relative to their distance from the black hole, Delta R/R, as small as ~10^-5. Such absorbers are unlikely to survive the journey from the supermassive black hole to their inferred locat…
We here report an identification of SDSS J090152.04+624342.6 as a new "overlapping-trough" iron low-ionization broad absorption line quasar at redshift of $z\sim2.1$. No strong variation of the broad absorption lines can be revealed through the two spectra taken by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey with a time interval of $\sim6$yr. Further optical and infrared spectroscopic study on this object is suggested.
We present continued analysis of a sample of low-redshift iron low-ionization broad absorption-line quasars (FeLoBALQs). Choi et al. (2022) presented $SimBAL$ spectral analysis of BAL outflows in 50 objects. Leighly et al. (2022) analyzed optical emission lines of 30 of those 50 objects and found that they are characterized by either a high accretion rate ($L_\mathrm{Bol}/L_\mathrm{Edd}>0.3$) or low accretion rate ($0.03<L_\mathrm{Bol}/L_\mathrm{Edd}<0.3$). We report that the outflow velocity is inversely correlated with the BAL location among the high accretion rate objects, with the highest …
We study the dramatic decrease in iron absorption strength in the iron low-ionization broad absorption line quasar SDSS J084133.15+200525.8. We report on the continued weakening of absorption in the prototype of this class of variable broad absorption line quasar, FBQS J140806.2+305448. We also report a third example of this class, SDSS J123103.70+392903.6; unlike the other two examples, it has undergone an increase in observed continuum brightness (at 3000~Å rest-frame) as well as a decrease in iron absorption strength. These changes could be caused by absorber transverse motion or by ionizat…
The accretion of interstellar medium onto the central super massive black holes is widely accepted as the source of the gigantic energy released by the active galactic nuclei. But few pieces of observational evidence have been confirmed directly demonstrating the existence of the inflows. The absorption line system in the spectra of quasar SDSS J112526.12+002901.3 presents an interesting example, in which the rarely detected hydrogen Balmer and metastable He I absorption lines are found redshifted to the quasar's rest frame along with the low-ionization metal absorption lines Mg II, Fe II, etc…
The physical properties and dynamical behavior of Broad Absorption Line (BAL) outflows are crucial themes in understanding the connections between galactic centers and their hosts. FeLoBALs (identified with the presence of low-ionization Fe II BALs) are a peculiar class of quasar outflows that constitute approximately 1% of the BAL population. With their large column densities and apparent outflow kinetic luminosities, FeLoBALs appear to be exceptionally powerful and are strong candidates for feedback in galaxy evolution. We conducted variability studies of 12 FeLoBAL quasars with emission red…
We conduct a spectroscopic search of quasars observed by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) with broad absorption line (BAL) troughs due to Mg II and troughs due to Fe II that simultaneously exhibit strong Balmer narrow emission lines (NELs). We find that in a redshift range of 0.4 less than or equal to z less than or equal to 0.9 approximately 23 of the 70 Mg II BALs and 4 of a subset of 15 Fe II BALs exhibit strong Balmer emission. We also find significant fractions of Mg II BALs (approximately 23%) and those Mg II BALs with Fe II troughs (approximately 27%) have strong continuum reddening,…
Broad absorption line (BAL) features in quasar spectra reveal an unambiguous signature of energetic outflows from central supermassive black holes, and thus BAL quasars are prime targets for investigating the potential process of luminous quasar feedback on galaxies. We analyzed the rest-UV spectrum of an "overlapping trough" iron low-ionization broad absorption line quasar (FeLoBAL) SDSS J135246.37+423923.5 using the novel spectral synthesis code SimBAL (Leighly et al. 2018) and discovered an extraordinarily fast and energetic BAL outflow. Our analysis revealed outflow velocities reaching $\s…
We show for the first time that FBQS J1151+3822 is an iron low-ionization broad absorption line quasar (FeLoBAL QSO), the second-brightest and second-closest known example of this class. He I* and Fe II together act as an effective analytical tool, allowing us to obtain useful kinematic constraints from photoionization models of the outflow without needing to assume any particular acceleration model. The main outflow's log ionization parameter is -1.5, the log hydrogen density [cm^(-3)] 5.5 to 8, the log hydrogen column density [cm^(-2)] 21.7 to 21.9, the absorption radius 7.2 to 127 pc, and t…
We present the variability study of broad absorption lines (BALs) in a uniformly radio-selected sample of 28 BAL quasars using the archival data from the FIRST Bright Quasar Survey (FBQS) and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), as well as those obtained by ourselves, covering time scales $\sim 1-10$ years in the quasar's rest-frame. To our surprise, 5 quasars showing strong variations are all belong to a special subclass of overlapping iron low ionization BAL (OFeLoBAL) quasars, however, other 4 non-overlapping FeLoBALs (non-OFeLoBALs) are invariable except one case with weak optical depth ch…
We present the discovery of a z=0.65 low-ionization broad absorption line (LoBAL) quasar in a post-starburst galaxy in data from the Dark Energy Survey (DES) and spectroscopy from the Australian Dark Energy Survey (OzDES). LoBAL quasars are a minority of all BALs, and rarer still is that this object also exhibits broad FeII (an FeLoBAL) and Balmer absorption. This is the first BAL quasar that has signatures of recently truncated star formation, which we estimate ended about 40 Myr ago. The characteristic signatures of an FeLoBAL require high column densities, which could be explained by the em…
Built upon a sample of 134 quasars that was dedicated to a systematic study of \mgii-BAL variability from Yi et al. (2019a), we investigate these quasars showing \mgii-BAL disappearance or emergence with the aid of at least three epoch optical spectra sampled more than 15 yr in the observed frame. We identified 3/3 quasars undergoing pristine/tentative BAL transformations. The incidence of pristine BAL transformations in the sample is therefore derived to be 2.2$_{-1.2}^{+2.2}$\%, consistent with that of high-ionization BAL transformations from the literature. Adopting an average \mgii-BAL dis…
We investigate the correlation between rest-frame UV flux variability of broad absorption line (BAL) quasars and their variability in BAL equivalent widths (EWs) in a various timescale from $<10$~days to a few years in the quasar rest-frame. We use the data sets of BAL EWs taken by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Reverberation Mapping (SDSS-RM) project and photometric data taken by the intermediate Palomar Transient Factory (iPTF) in $g$ and $R$-bands and the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS) in $grizy$ bands. Our results are summarized as below; (1) the distributi…
CRTS J084133.15+200525.8 is an optically bright quasar at z=2.345 that has shown extreme spectral variability over the past decade. Photometrically, the source had a visual magnitude of V~17.3 between 2002 and 2008. Then, over the following five years, the source slowly brightened by approximately one magnitude, to V~16.2. Only ~1 in 10,000 quasars show such extreme variability, as quantified by the extreme parameters derived for this quasar assuming a damped random walk model. A combination of archival and newly acquired spectra reveal the source to be an iron low-ionization broad absorption …
We present the ensemble variability analysis results of quasars using the Dark Energy Camera Legacy Survey (DECaLS) and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) quasar catalogs. Our dataset includes 119,305 quasars with redshifts up to 4.89. Combining the two datasets provides a 15-year baseline and permits analysis of the long timescale variability. Adopting a power-law form for the variability structure function, $V=A(t/1yr)^γ$, we use the multi-dimensional parametric fitting to explore the relationships between the quasar variability amplitude and a wide variety of quasar properties, including r…
We investigate the connection between the intrinsic C IV absorption line variability and the continuum flux changes of broad absorption line (BAL) quasars using a sample of 78 sources in the Stripe 82 region. The absorption trough variability parameters are measured using the archival multi-epoch spectroscopic data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), and the continuum flux variability parameters are estimated from the photometric light curves obtained by the SDSS and the Catalina Real-Time Survey (CRTS) surveys. We find evidence for weak correlations (ρ~ 0.3) between the intrinsic C IV a…
We present the results of a systematic search for quasars in the Catalina Real-time Transient Survey exhibiting both strong photometric and spectroscopic variability over a decadal baseline. We identify 73 sources with specific patterns of optical and mid-IR photometric behavior and a defined spectroscopic change. These "Changing-State" quasars (CSQs) form a higher luminosity sample to complement existing sets of "Changing-Look" AGN and quasars in the literature. The CSQs (by selection) exhibit larger photometric variability than the CLQs. The spectroscopic variability is marginally stronger i…
There is a large degree of variety in the optical variability of quasars and it is unclear whether this is all attributable to a single (set of) physical mechanism(s). We present the results of a systematic search for major flares in AGN in the Catalina Real-time Transient Survey as part of a broader study into extreme quasar variability. Such flares are defined in a quantitative manner as being atop of the normal, stochastic variability of quasars. We have identified 51 events from over 900,000 known quasars and high probability quasar candidates, typically lasting 900 days and with a median …
When a flux-limited quasar sample is observed at later times, there will be more dimmed quasars than brightened ones, due to a selection bias induced at the time of sample selection. Quasars are continuously varying and there are more fainter quasars than brighter ones. At the time of selection, even symmetrical variability will result in more quasars with their instantaneous fluxes scattered above the flux limit than those scattered below, leading to an asymmetry in flux changes over time. The same bias would lead to an asymmetry in the ensemble structure function (SF) of the sample such that…
We explore the variability of quasars in the MgII and Hbeta broad emission lines and UV/optical continuum emission using the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Reverberation Mapping project (SDSS-RM). This is the largest spectroscopic study of quasar variability to date: our study includes 29 spectroscopic epochs from SDSS-RM over $6$ months, containing 357 quasars with MgII and 41 quasars with Hbeta . On longer timescales, the study is also supplemented with two-epoch data from SDSS-I/II. The SDSS-I/II data include an additional $2854$ quasars with MgII and 572 quasars with Hbeta. The MgII emission lin…
We conduct a pilot investigation to determine the optimal combination of color and variability information to identify quasars in current and future multi-epoch optical surveys. We use a Bayesian quasar selection algorithm (Richards et al. 2004) to identify 35,820 type 1 quasar candidates in a 239 square degree field of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Stripe 82, using a combination of optical photometry and variability. Color analysis is performed on 5-band single- and multi-epoch SDSS optical photometry to a depth of r ~22.4. From these data, variability parameters are calculated by fitti…
We report on the spectral confirmation of 18 QSO candidates from the "QUasars as BRIght beacons for Cosmology in the Southern hemisphere'' survey (QUBRICS), previously observed in the optical band, for which we acquired new spectroscopic data in the near-infrared band with the Folded-port InfraRed Echellette spectrograph (FIRE) at the Magellan Baade telescope. In most cases, further observations were prompted by the peculiar nature of the targets, whose optical spectra displayed unexpected absorption features. All candidates have been confirmed as bona fide QSOs, with average emission redshift…
We present an improved photometric error analysis for the 7,100 CRTS (Catalina Real-Time Transient Survey) optical light curves for quasars from the SDSS (Sloan Digital Sky Survey) Stripe 82 catalogue. The SDSS imaging survey has provided a time-resolved photometric data set which greatly improved our understanding of the quasar optical continuum variability: Data for monthly and longer time-scales are consistent with a damped random walk (DRW). Recently, newer data obtained by CRTS provided puzzling evidence for enhanced variability, compared to SDSS results, on monthly time-scales. Quantitat…
While narrow absorption lines (NALs) are relatively stable, broad absorption lines (BALs) and mini-BAL systems usually show violent time variability within a few years via a mechanism that is not yet understood. In this study, we examine variable ionization state (VIS) scenario as a plausible mechanism, as previously suspected. Over three years, we performed photometric monitoring observations of four mini-BAL and five NAL quasars at $z_{\rm em}$ $\sim$ 2.0 - 3.1 using the 105 cm Kiso Schmidt Telescope in $u$, $g$, and $i$-bands. We also performed spectroscopic monitoring observation of one of…
We systematically investigate short-timescale ($<$10-day rest-frame) CIV broad absorption-line (BAL) variability to constrain quasar-wind properties and provide insights into BAL-variability mechanisms in quasars. We employ data taken by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Reverberation Mapping (SDSS-RM) project, as the rapid cadence of these observations provides a novel opportunity to probe BAL variability on shorter rest-frame timescales than have previously been explored. In a sample of 27 quasars with a median of 58 spectral epochs per quasar, we have identified 15 quasars ($55^{+18}_{-14}$%), 1…
In this work we train three decision-tree based ensemble machine learning algorithms (Random Forest Classifier, Adaptive Boosting and Gradient Boosting Decision Tree respectively) to study quasar selection in the variable source catalog in SDSS Stripe 82. We build training and test samples (both containing 1:1 of quasars and stars) using the spectroscopic confirmed sources in SDSS DR14 (including 8330 quasars and 3966 stars). We find that, trained with variation parameters alone, all three models can select quasars with similarly and remarkably high precision and completeness ($\sim$ 98.5% and…
We constrain the average episodic quasar lifetime (as in steady-state accretion) using two statistics of quasars that are recently turned off (i.e., dimmed by a large factor): 1) the fraction of turned-off quasars in a statistical sample photometrically observed over an extended period (e.g., $Δt=20$ yrs); 2) the fraction of massive galaxies that show 'orphan' broad MgII emission, argued to be short-lived echoes of recently turned-off quasars. The two statistics constrain the average episodic quasar lifetime to be hundreds to thousands of years. Much longer (or shorter) episodic lifetimes are …
Using archival observations recorded over a 5+ year timeframe with the NASA Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) satellite, we present a study of the ultraviolet (UV) variability of 4360 quasars of redshifts up to z=2.5 that have optical counterparts in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey DR5 spectroscopic catalog. The observed changes in both the far UV (FUV: 1350-1785A) and near UV (NUV: 1770-2830A) AB magnitudes as a function of time may help differentiate between models of the emission mechanisms thought to operate in these active galaxies. A list of NUV and FUV variable quasars was derived from the…
We present the second Multi-Epoch X-ray Serendipitous AGN Sample (MEXSAS2), extracted from the 6th release of the XMM Serendipitous Source Catalogue (XMMSSC-DR6), cross-matched with Sloan Digital Sky Survey quasar catalogues DR7Q and DR12Q. Our sample also includes the available measurements for masses, bolometric luminosities, and Eddington ratios. Analyses of the ensemble structure function and spectral variability are presented, together with their dependences on such parameters. We confirm a decrease of the structure function with the X-ray luminosity, and find a weak dependence on the bla…
We report here the first results from a 15-yr long variability monitoring of the z=2.0 quasar QSO B1312+7837. It shows luminosity changes with a period P~6.13 yr (P~2.04 yr at rest frame) and an amplitude of ~0.2mag, superimposed on a gradual dimming at a rate of ~0.55mag per 100 yrs. Two false periods associated with power peaks in the data windowing function were discarded. The measured period is confirmed with a bootstrapping Monte-Carlo simulation. A damped random walk model yields a better fit to the data than a sine-function model, but at the cost of employing some high frequency variati…
We have used optical V and R band observations from the Massive Compact Halo Object (MACHO) project on a sample of 59 quasars behind the Magellanic clouds to study their long term optical flux and colour variations. These quasars lying in the redshift range of 0.2 < z < 2.8 and having apparent V band magnitudes between 16.6 and 20.1 mag have observations ranging from 49 to 1353 epochs spanning over 7.5 years with frequency of sampling between 2 to 10 days. All the quasars show variability during the observing period. The normalized excess variance (Fvar) in V and R bands are in the range 0.2% …
Quasars are variable on timescales from days to years in UV/optical, and generally appear bluer while they brighten. The physics behind the variations in fluxes and colors remains unclear. Using SDSS g and r band photometric monitoring data of quasars in Stripe 82, we find that although the flux variation amplitude increases with timescale, the color variability exhibits opposite behavior. The color variability of quasars is prominent at timescales as short as ~ 10 days, but gradually reduces toward timescales up to years. In other words, the variable emission at shorter timescales is bluer th…
Quasar outflows have long been recognized as potential contributors to the co-evolution between supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and their host galaxies. The role of outflows in AGN feedback processes can be better understood by placing observational constraints on wind locations and kinetic energies. We utilize broad absorption line (BAL) variability to investigate the properties of a sample of 71 BAL quasars with P$\thinspace$V broad absorption. The presence of P$\thinspace$V BALs indicates that other BALs like C$\thinspace$IV are saturated, such that variability in those lines favours cloud…
The broad Mg II line in quasars has distinct variability properties compared with broad Balmer lines: it is less variable, and usually does not display a "breathing" mode, the increase in the average cloud distance when luminosity increases. We demonstrate that these variability properties of Mg II can be reasonably well explained by simple Locally Optimally Emitting Cloud (LOC) photoionization models, confirming earlier photoionization results. In the fiducial LOC model, the Mg II-emitting gas is on average more distant from the ionizing source than the H$α$/H$β$ gas, and responds with a lowe…
We present absorption variability results for 134 bona fide \mgii\ broad absorption line (BAL) quasars at 0.46~$\lesssim z \lesssim$~2.3 covering days to $\sim$ 10 yr in the rest frame. We use multiple-epoch spectra from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, which has delivered the largest such BAL-variability sample ever studied. \mgii-BAL identifications and related measurements are compiled and presented in a catalog. We find a remarkable time-dependent asymmetry in EW variation from the sample, such that weakening troughs outnumber strengthening troughs, the first report of such a phenomenon in BA…
Variations of the X-ray spectral slope have been found in many Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) at moderate luminosities and redshifts, typically showing a "softer when brighter" behaviour. However, similar studies are not usually performed for high-luminosity AGNs. We present an analysis of the spectral variability based on a large sample of quasars in wide intervals of luminosity and redshift, measured at several different epochs, extracted from the fifth release of the XMM Newton Serendipitous Source Catalogue. Our analysis confirms a "softer when brighter" trend also for our sample, extending …
We perform a systematic search for high-redshift ($z >$ 1.5) extreme variability quasars (EVQs) using repeat spectra from the Sixteenth Data Release of Sloan Digital Sky Survey, which provides a baseline spanning up to $\sim$18 yrs in the observed frame. We compile a sample of 348 EVQs with a maximum continuum variability at rest frame 1450 Angstrom of more than 100% (i.e., $δ$V $\equiv$ (Max$-$Min)/Mean $>$1). The EVQs show a range of emission line variability, including 23 where at least one line in our redshift range disappears below detectability, which can then be seen as analogous to low…
Supermassive black hole binaries (SMBHBs) are an inevitable consequence of galaxy mergers. At subparsec separations, they are practically impossible to resolve, and the most promising technique is to search for quasars with periodic variability. However, searches for quasar periodicity in time-domain data are challenging due to the stochastic variability of quasars. In this paper, we used Bayesian methods to disentangle periodic SMBHB signals from intrinsic damped random walk (DRW) variability in active galactic nuclei light curves. We simulated a wide variety of realistic DRW and DRW+sine lig…
We demonstrate that VPMS J170850.95+433223.7 is a weak line quasar (WLQ) which is remarkable in several respects. It was already classified as a probable quasar two decades ago, but with considerable uncertainty. The non-significant proper motion and parallax from the Gaia early data release 3 have solidified this assumption. Based on previously unpublished spectra, we show that VPMS J170850.95+433223.7 is a WLQ at z = 2.345 with immeasurably faint broad emission lines in the rest-frame ultraviolet. A preliminary estimate suggests that it hosts a supermassive black hole of ~10^9 M_sun accretin…
We investigated the rest-frame $\approx$0.1-5 year X-ray variability properties of an unbiased and uniformly selected sample of 24 BAL and 35 mini-BAL quasars, making it the largest representative sample used to investigate such variability. We find that the distributions of X-ray variability amplitudes of these quasar populations are statistically similar to that of non-BAL, radio-quiet (typical) quasars.
The physical mechanisms of the quasar ultraviolet (UV)-optical variability are not well understood despite the long history of observations. Recently, Dexter & Agol presented a model of quasar UV-optical variability, which assumes large local temperature fluctuations in the quasar accretion discs. This inhomogeneous accretion disc model is claimed to describe not only the single-band variability amplitude, but also microlensing size constraints and the quasar composite spectral shape. In this work, we examine the validity of the inhomogeneous accretion disc model in the light of quasar UV-opti…
Quasar microlensing analyses implicitly generate a model of the variability of the source quasar. The implied source variability may be unrealistic yet its likelihood is generally not evaluated. We used the damped random walk (DRW) model for quasar variability to evaluate the likelihood of the source variability and applied the revised algorithm to a microlensing analysis of the lensed quasar RX J1131-1231. We compared the estimates of the source quasar disk and average lens galaxy stellar mass with and without applying the DRW likelihoods for the source variability model and found no signific…
We explore the evolution of the time variability (in the optical $g$-band and on timescales of weeks to years) of SDSS Stripe 82 quasars along the quasar main sequence. A parent sample of $1004$ quasars within $0.5\leq z \leq 0.89$ are used for our statistical studies, we then make subsamples from our parent sample: a subsample of $246$ quasars with similar luminosities, and a subsample of $399$ quasars with similar Rfe (i.e., the ratio of the equivalent width of FeII within $4435$--$4685\ \mathrmÅ$ to that of \Hbeta). We find the variability amplitude decreases with luminosity ($L_{\mathrm{bo…
Quasars have long been known as intrinsically variable sources, but the physical mechanism underlying the temporal optical/UV variability is still not well understood. We propose a novel nonparametric method for modeling and forecasting the optical variability of quasars utilizing an autoencoder neural network to gain insight into the underlying processes. The autoencoder is trained with ~15,000 decade-long quasar light curves obtained by the Catalina Real-time Transient Survey selected with negligible flux contamination from the host galaxy. The autoencoder's performance in forecasting the te…
